Akuto shook his head, steadied Yuuma by the waist, and guided her down.
He truly loved that "first-love" warmth Yuuma gave him… but it was time to lay the cards on the table.
Because of the succubus bloodline and the symbiote's resonance, Yuuma's lips slackened and her violet eyes rolled back—yet her legs still locked around him, her fingers laced with his still firm.
Under the flood of his bloodline infusion art, Yuuma finally slipped into unconsciousness and slumped against him.
Even then… she still didn't spread a Fallen Angel's wings.
There was no doubt—she was still holding herself back, even now.
Looking at Yuuma clinging to him even in a faint, refusing to let him go, Akuto could only sigh.
"Yuuma-san, I have to admit—your resolve here is beyond what I imagined."
"As my answer to that…"
Akuto glanced toward a district of Ryokū City.
There, he saw the gathering forces of the Void Cicada Organization and the Old Maou Faction.
"If I'm not mistaken, that's the group Katerea cobbled together to deal with me. Only two 'super-Maou-class' among them? Honestly… kind of shabby."
Pinned in place by Yuuma's fierce embrace, Akuto chose not to pry himself free by force.
A heartbeat later, countless golden motes streamed from his body and coalesced outside into a Divine Avatar.
If Kusanagi Godou can manifest Verethragna's avatar, Akuto can do the same.
Whoosh—
At his command, the avatar stepped forward and vanished from the room.
—
Old Maou Faction stronghold, Ryokū City.
Katerea was putting the finishing touches on a trap for Akuto.
Her partner this time: the leader of the Void Cicada Organization, Himejima Tangdi—a "cast-out child" of the Five Great Clans, exiled for lacking a house crest, who gathered other outcasts, nursed a deep grudge, and vowed revenge on the Five.
In the "Fallen Dog-God" incident, the Void Cicada group colluded with a traitor from the Son-of-God Watchers and the Witch of Oz, aiming to forge Sacred Gears by harvesting the "Four Fiends." They engineered the Ryokū High ferry disaster that took 233 students and parents (e.g., Tōjō Sae, Sasaki, Maeda Nobushige…), abducting them to develop artificial "Void-Cicada-ization" Gears.
But because the Watchers intervened, they failed to obtain the Four Fiends. They then fielded "Void-Cicada-ized" students and monsters to hunt for loose Fiend relics and other Sacred Gear hosts at Ryokū High.
In the end, with the Watchers' tip-off, the Five Great Clans raided the hideout and smashed the organization.
Normally, the Void Cicada group would've been eliminated before Rias's main plotline ever started.
But in Akuto's world, history had drifted.
Now the organization's head—Himejima Tangdi, the "discarded child" of the Himejima line and clan-mate to Akeno—was negotiating with Katerea.
"Katerea, remember—you promised me the Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet."
Tangdi was confident.
Recently, the Void Cicada Organization had acquired a treasure specifically effective against the Red Dragon Emperor and White Dragon Emperor.
With that in hand, even if the Heavenly Dragons themselves revived, they would fall—so what chance does a contemporary host have?
"No problem. But per our deal, you only get the artifact."
"As for Sai Akuto himself… he's mine."
Katerea pushed up her wine-red frames. Remembering something, she smiled—unabashed and pleased.
The Old Maou Leviathan faction had made up its mind: capture Sai Akuto, then use him to sire heirs strong enough to restore the "true Leviathan" name that had faded for centuries.
Just yesterday she'd seen Kokabiel step into Kuoh Academy—and never step back out.
She understood well that Akuto had grown again since two months prior—enough to defeat Kokabiel even after he used an Evolution Core.
That pace of growth, together with Akuto's extremely pure bloodline, made Katerea's envy flare.
She didn't care what kind of man she "should" find. Even a man already engaged—if his bloodline was powerful enough to give her powerful children—would do.
Capture him. Make him a breeder. Take back the most orthodox "Leviathan" title—and revel in the petty pleasure of humiliating Lucifer.
—
Elsewhere.
Perhaps because Katerea's desire burned so single-mindedly, the moment Akuto's avatar arrived a system chime rang in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Congrats, Host—Stage Quest triggered: "The Old Maou Leviathan's Revenge."]
[Quest Rank: Gold → Red.]
[Quest Detail: As you keep growing, the Old Maou Leviathan has changed tactics—from 'kill or imprison the host' to 'seize the host.' Best case? Mass-produce offspring—inherit the host's mutated pure bloodline and shame Maou Lucifer. This 'treat-a-person-like-a-stud' plan deserves to be paid back—hard.]
[Quest Goal: Collect the women labeled 'Leviathan' who appear in the plot.
Stage 1: Collect Katerea Leviathan & Ingvild Leviathan.
Stage 2: Collect the First Leviathan & the Second Leviathan.
(Note: Collecting other female Devils with Leviathan blood (e.g., other Old Maou Leviathan faction members) grants bonus progress.)]
[Collectibles across spacetime include:
• Ingvild Leviathan — entry-level Maou; a throwback descendant of Leviathan; bears the Sacred Gear Nereid Kyrie, which commands dragons and the sea. (Present timeline.)
• First Leviathan — peak Super-Maou; one of the original Four Maou, the strongest pure Leviathan, true Maou seat holder; gains enormous buffs in the Underworld; fell together with the Biblical God. (Biblical Era timeline.)
• Zafami Treiac Leviathan — low Super-Maou; daughter of the First Leviathan; wields dark-azure flames; resembles her mother; can drown cities and devour an army of ten thousand Devils with sheer water-magic might. (Devil Civil War timeline.)
…]
"Hm?"
Akuto arched a brow at the quest window.
A red-ranked job was nice to see, but… for now, only the Gold stage looked doable.
"To finish the red stages, I'll have to clear the DxD world first."
[Ding~]
[Upon clearing the DxD world's Main Scenario and winning the Rating Game International Tournament, the world is considered "conquered."]
[After conquering DxD, you may time-travel to any DxD timeline while locking the current world-line.]
"…"
"So that's how it is," Akuto exhaled.
Win the International Tournament, then time travel is unlocked. Until then, it's sealed.
"Still… since it's a stage quest, partial progress yields partial rewards. Worth starting now."
He looked down.
Through the outer barrier, he saw Katerea discussing tactics with Himejima Tangdi.
In looks and aura, Katerea wasn't the stereotypical "pure Japanese beauty," but she possessed a striking elegance.
Bronzed skin, a cascade of ash-blond hair, wine-red glasses, an effortless noble bearing.
Twin ash-blond braids framed that proud face, lifted by the proud lines of her figure.
Maroon thigh-highs, a specially cut Maou uniform that didn't fully cover those endless legs—every line maximized her advantages.
Akuto pictured those long, dark-skinned legs coiled at his waist… those braids turned into reins in his hands—
Then chuckled.
"So, she's using an Evolution Core too?"
"How ugly—the Old Maou Faction tossing away pride one after another."
"Cooperating with humans… accepting control from other worlds… since you've already cast aside your dignity, why not discard it completely?"
[Welsh Dragon: Balance Breaker!]
[Forbidden Move—Boosted Gear Scale Mail!]
Vnng—
Centered on Akuto, a barrier unfurled large enough to blanket all of Ryokū City.
First, a city-wide dome. Then… a tighter, nested lattice enwrapping the Old Maou base.
He wasn't letting "the Void Cicada boss" or "the Old Maou Leviathan head" slip away today.
Preparations set—
Snap.
[Explosion—The World! (Explosion Magic: World-Edition)]
BOOM!!
A prismatic black sphere swelled and, in a blink, swallowed the base where Tangdi and Katerea stood.
"What—?!"
They had no time to react. The barrier protecting them shattered in an instant.
Seconds later, as light returned, the oppressive aura of a crimson armor in the sky crushed their breath flat.
Even after "Evolution Core" boosts, they were nowhere near this level.
And worse was coming.
"Withdraw."
"Time to harvest."
Akuto's gaze swept to Tangdi—and to the "materials" around him.
He'd held back specifically to take the Void Cicada research intact.
Flick—flick—flick—flick—
Each time his figure blurred, swaths of specimens vanished.
When he reappeared, everything useful in the facility was gone—all tucked into Akuto's pocket realm.
Among them: the target Tangdi had just seized in a terror strike—a Ryokū High girl bearing a powerful "Void Cicada Gear" (a partial avatar of Dog-God Kusa).
Akuto turned, the red armor humming.
Stage One begins.
(End of Chapter)
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